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Syrian video said to show rebels throwing bodies off roof

August 12, 2012 | 12:30
pm

BEIRUT -- A graphic video widely circulated online among Syrians on Sunday purported to show rebels throwing the bodies of slain government soldiers from the roof of a post office in the northeastern city of Al-Bab.

The video shows a crowd gathered in front of the post office as a voice shouts, "The heroes of Al-Bab." At least two bodies are lying in front of the building. The video shows three bodies being thrown from the roof of the building before a crowd surrounds the corpses and gunshots are heard.

Both sides of the conflict in Syria have been accused of human rights violations. The latest video drew quick condemnation from Syrians who argued that the rebels should not emulate the brutality of President Bashar Assad's forces.

One activist, known on Twitter as @KareemLailah, posted this reference to the rebel Free Syrian Army: "FSA throwing security forces from the post building in Bab city in #Aleppo is a big shame & must be widely condemned. #Syria."

Another activist known as @Rafif Jouejati on Twitter, wrote: "No amount of torture & barbarism will bring back our dead, and heinous acts only make us JUST LIKE THE REGIME if we accept them. #Syria."

A Syrian media activist and member of the Al-Bab Coordinating Committee said via Skype that the incident occurred about three weeks ago as rebels battled government forces for control of the city.

"There were snipers on the roof of the post office," said the activist, who asked to be identified as Barry for security's sake. "Several of them surrendered and left the building. Five remained, killing at least seven fighters.

"There was a lot of anger," he said. "Finally the rebels managed to storm the post office and threw explosive devices and the five snipers were killed. Then the rebels threw the bodies from the roof."

"What happened was really bad. We should respect the dead even if they were our enemies," he added, saying that later the bodies were buried according to Muslim customs.